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Sri Lanka’s Dagoba or Stupa
© Penelope Gan – All Rights Reserved – Stupa, Polonnaruwa, SRI LANKA
Monnier Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, renders stupa as “a Buddhist monument, dagoba (generally of a pyramidal or dome-like form and created over sacred relics of the historical Buddha [563-478 b.C.] or on spots consecrated as the scenes of his acts); a relics shrine or relics casket. The stupa was originally a topknot of hair, designating the upper part of the head but subsequently became used as an architectural term, indicating a monument of a dome-shaped form over the sacred relics of the Buddha or other saints or venerable persons. With the growth of Buddhism in the course of time, the early structural model of stupa underwent gradual architectural trasformation in various regions of India and elsewere. Penetration of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Central Asian, South-East Asian and East Asian countries besides Nepal and Tibet was followed by the trasmission of the religio-cultural traditions, concept, and form of Buddhist architecture including the stupa from their birth place to these foreign lands, where these were preserved , adapted and developed in accordance with local requirements, believes and taste.”
The dagobas or stupas of Sri Lanka are the largest brick structures known to the ancient world, rendering them significant not only to Buddhism but also a significant architectural and engineering development for the island. The construction of stupas were considered acts of great merit for men as the purpose of stupas were mainly to enshrine relics of the Buddha.
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Despite its shapes evolving from a ‘paddy heap’ to the ‘pot and bell’ and later on an ‘onion’, design specifications for the entrances are consistent in that they are laid out in a manner that ensures that their centre lines point to the relic chambers. As time progress, an ornamented vahalkadas was added to the design of stupas around the 2nd Century AD. The four vahalkadas face the cardinal points, ornamented with figures of animals and flowers. The pillars on the either side of the vahalkadas features figures of lions, elephants, horses or bulls; depending on the direction of the structure.
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Later stupas were covered with a coating of lime plaster; combination applied depended on availability of materials and the requirements of designs. Typically materials includes lime, clay, sand, pebbles, egg whites, plant resin, glues and even the saliva of white ants!
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